.:: Toryumon 'Vamanos Amigos', 8th November 2001 ::.
Review by Ben, 26th July 2002

Yes - I lean towards Toryumon. Why else do you think me and Jay got along like a house on fire? What isn't appealing about a light heavyweight division full of charismatic, acrobatic and in some cases lunatic athlete's rounded up and trained by one of the most influential wrestlers of all time. Ultimo Dragon is up there with Jyushin Lyger, Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid in my books as Puroresu folklore. The man had success in a mainstream American company - that's pretty damn big seeing as WWE these days turns any Japanese wrestler into a stereotype "nasty evil scornful" person. (Can you blame the Japanese for being somewhat scornful when this stuff happens?)

Well I got through my post thanks to the lovely Niall from PalNtsc Tapes (Plug for you there my Irish fellow) four tapes, three of which with two shows on them. That's a staggering 9 hours worth of Puroresu. Add that to Tom's BattlARTS tape (which I marked out for totally.... it was everything I was told of and more), and we're talking 13 hours of Japanese Wrestling in a week - I'm that much of a junkie. Unfortunately my drinking habits and working doesn't allow me to match it all, but hey, I'm reviewing as much as possible.

One of the tapes contained... yes, you guessed it... Toryumon. I'll review the other show later, but this television show was one I've waited a while for. The eagerly awaited... well, to me, showing of Genki Horiguchi's heel turn to join M2K, Magnum's gigolo services as of late as well as all Crazy MAX insanity. Good viewers of RFR, this is !Vamanos Amigos! 11/8/01.

The tape start with usual introductory credit, showing the large letters spelling out the Mexican title of the show. They show highlights of the insanity in Toryumon at this point in time, with angles flying everywhere.
Genki's mean streak within the Toryumon army is all to apparent, SAITO announcing his impending retirement to go into training, as well as Crazy MAX punking every wrestler they feel is inadequate in their own special way. God bless CIMA. Into the studio we go, and sat with the customary two announcers is Masaaki Mochizuki, looking as cool as ever. Handed to him is a PRIDE book, which he accepts graciously.


Darkness Dragon/Susumu Mochizuki (Susumu Yokosuka) vs. Dragon Kid/Magnum TOKYO

As always, the Toryumon Army fends off the evils of all rudo groups. The beginning of Toryumon it was Crazy MAX as "El Numero Uno Rudo's". 2001 saw Masaaki Mochizuki's brainchild M2K take over that spot. As Susumu Mochizuki comes out with Darkness Dragon, to cheers even thought they are heels, Dragon
Kid enters the ringside area. Of course this is overshadowed by the awesomeness (Look at me mark out even while I write this!!!) of Magnum TOKYO's entrance. But it looks as though they've CUT it! The ring action is fantastic - we see Susumu's cocky heel tactics (points to a woman in the crowd, TOKYO turns to look and then get's poked in the eye complete with cheeky laugh) and Darkness Dragon's scary strength, nailing a sheer drop brainbuster for a two count.

I kind of lost heart in Toryumon, having not watched it in a while. To be honest I've not watched a lot of Puroresu lately thanks to lack of money or quality dealers. But THIS is the stuff I marked for before I met Jay and Tom, these are my roots. And Magnum TOKYO brought all those memories flooding back as he leapt into the ring nailing kick after kick. Enzuigiri's and Springboard Dropkicks. We don't get to see the wicked Erect Smash, but he attempts a Viagra Driver, only to have Susumu escape it. There is a great deal of difference in reading results and watching. One could only imagine what the Christo hold Dragon Kid uses looked like; seeing it on motion totally exceeded all expectations of that move. It was crisp, showing a lot of doubters in the early days of his existence his learning curve has taken a very steep rise. The ending was excellent, with Susumu going up top, only to have TOKYO hit him so he was sat on the top of the ropes. From the apron, springboard onto the third rope, top rope rana... and to top it off, Dragon Kid (the legal man) executes his Ultra Rana and flies three quarters of the way across the ring to nail it!


Super Shisa vs. Ken'ichiro Arai

SAITO comes out to introduce his underling, Shisa. Wearing a mask and a tracksuit, he takes on the token "drunk man" (according to Jay) of Toryumon, "Araken". This match was basically a technical exhibition, with the majority of the match mat work. Some very promising signs from Shisa, who takes Arai to the time limit. I enjoyed this match for what it was, but I hope the next time I see these two it's not just going to be all mat work. A few high flying moves like Arai is renowned for would be pretty cool, but it's a solid performance.


Ricky Marvin vs. Apache

Apache is the Duracell Bunny of lucha libre - he just keeps on going and going and going. Which isn't surprising as the 26 year veteran of the sport still can hang with the high flyers. He'll have to seeing as he's up against the ever popular Ricky Marvin. This was a very good match from two freelance workers (I still think Marvin is a freelancer), with many highflying spots. Trouble is that I didn't feel some of the high flying techniques were quite as crisp as the Japanese workers. Marvin's springboard head scissors to a top
rope seated Apache was somewhat blemished thanks to a mis timing, and paled in comparison to TOKYO's rana earlier in the tape. An excellent match none the less though, and it shows that there are some promising workers coming over to Toryumon, young and old.


Ryo Saito/Sumo Dandy Fuji (Don Fuji) vs. Masaaki Mochizuki/???

Pictures this if you will. Your groups of close friends are at war with punks. How would you feel when one of them steps out of line and joins these punks and basically spits at everything you've accomplished with them for the sake of an argument with one of them? That's how each and every member of the Toryumon Army, each and everyone person in the arena, each and every person watching at home felt when the happy, fun loving surfer 'dude' Genki Horiguchi sided with Masaaki Mochizuki and his M2K group. When Mochizuki arrived on his mini scooter, many waited to see who his mystery partner was. Who was to be the latest member of M2K? It was one hell of a shock when Horiguchi came out. Confronted by the Toryumon army (Dragon Kid, Arai and TOKYO), Arai immediately got into Genki's face, who shoved him away. The insanity of this situation was spectacular, seeing the look on Saito and Fuji's faces wondering what the hell was going on, and then Genki getting into a full blown brawl with the others, which looked to me like a shoot when Arai was again struck very hard.

Genki fitted into his new heel role like a charm. He portrayed all the characteristics of a M2K member - low blows, blue box shots and even rather heelish slapping on Saito. This match saw it all - GH Lock, Beach Break, Triangle Enzuigiri, a double Cycling Yahoo and Masaaki's ultra stiff. This was exciting. Hand on my heart this was, is and always will be one of the most dynamic and exciting matches I've ever witnessed. So many near falls had my on the edge of my seat. At one point I nearly turned the video off, assured that the Dragon Suplex hold Mochizuki nailed was the be all/end all of that match. Alas, it wasn't. Ryo Saito, Jay's golden child, against all the odds, executed the Messenger on MY boy's new leader, Masaaki Mochizuki, for the three count. The end of the match was fantastic also as Saito lay prone in the ring, streamers covering his body as Mochizuki looks on bewildered. My beloved Genki Horiguchi's first match tarnished by a darn delivery boy. The M2K/Toryumon war rages on... and so does the Jay-o Saito/Benji Horiguchi one also.


CONCLUSION

A storming return for Toryumon in this household. This show maybe nearly a year dated, and it me look enough to get a hold of it, but puroresu fans rejoice - it was worth the wait. It was more than I anticipated. I'm even going to re-watch the Genki heel turn again for the fifth straight time. Even if you don't speak Japanese, the body language all the athletes show conveys emotions far more powerful than simply words. It's pure hatred mixed with anger and confusion, with many of the people in attendance asking themselves: "Was Genki really that hard done by in the Toryumon Army?". You want to hate him, yet you feel sympathy for him to begin with - and then when he starts laying on some very rudo influenced moves, you can't help but to hate they guy. I don't though - screw y'all I'd do the same on RFR it it happened :)

ENTERTAINMENT - 9 - I think I've put over the Genki heel turn more than enough. But it is IMMENSELY entertaining to see the reactions from everyone. All the workers play their characters to a tee; Magnum's flamboyancy and hot headed temper, Dragon Kid's underdog tactics, Marvin's Latin flair and agility, it all works.

WORKRATE - 9 - When have you ever known Toryumon to be consistently sloppy. Stoker doesn't count as that's all part of his gimmick. The Marvin/Apache match kinda let the workrate down, but aside from that the moves were all sharp, fluid and well sold

.:: FINAL RECOMMENDATION - Most definitely worth a look! ::.